How to use studio lighting

The setting of lighting can be said to be very important, which is directly related to the effect of the final work and is also a difficult point. Now I'd like to share with you some views on the setting of main lighting.

The main light source can be placed anywhere in the scene, but in practical application, there are several places where the main light source is often placed, and each place has its own unique way of rendering objects. The following are introduced separately.

1, front (front) lighting:

Setting the main lamp next to the camera will get forward illumination, and the actual lamp position may be higher and more biased than the camera position. Forward illumination produces flat images and flat shadows. Because the light shines evenly on the object and is close to the camera, a two-dimensional figure is obtained. Forward lighting will minimize the texture and volume of the object, and there is no need to model the light when using forward lighting.

2. Back lighting:

Put the main light behind or directly above the object, and the strong highlight will outline the object. The contrast produced by backlight can produce volume and depth and visually separate the foreground from the background. At the same time, the object illuminated by backlight has a large black shadow area, and there is a small and strong highlight in this area. Strong backlight is sometimes used to produce spiritual performance effects. Using filtering and diffusion network, the brightness effect around the object is stronger. This technique is often used to produce mysterious and dramatic effects because of its shape extraction.

3. Side lighting:

Side light is to place the main light 90 degrees along the side of the object, including the left side and the right side. Side lighting emphasizes the texture and shape of objects. In side lighting, one side of an object is completely illuminated, while the other side is in darkness. Side light is a hard light with high contrast, which is most suitable for a wide face or a round face, because it makes the width of the face smaller and does not show the circular outline of the face. It is mainly used to produce inner expressions and influences, and side light will also lead to corresponding deformation, because the face is not strictly symmetrical.

4. Rembrandt lighting:

Rembrandt lighting is to put the main light on the side of the camera and let the main light illuminate the object. It is also called 3/4 lighting, 1/4 lighting or 45-degree lighting. In Rembrandt lighting, the position of the main light is usually 45 degrees above the side of the person and faces the object at a certain angle, so it is also called high side lighting. Rembrandt lighting simulates the position of the sun in the morning or evening when the main light is above the side. The main light is a typical position commonly used in painting and photography. The illuminated object is three-dimensional and can display the outline completely.

5. Wide lighting:

Widening lighting is a variant of Rembrandt lighting, which includes changing the position and illuminating an area wider than 3/4 of the face. The main light illuminates the object in the same direction as the camera. Widening lighting is usually used to lengthen and widen narrow faces. Widening lighting is not suitable for round and wide faces, because the light position will enlarge the face.